Irving M. Sorkin

SORKIN IRVING M. SORKIN On October 18, 2007, Dr. Irving Sorkin, who combined a career in dentistry with an impressive second career as a novelist, playwright and Hollywood producer, has died at the age of 88. Dr Sorkin received his A.B. degree from Union college, Schenectady, NY in 1940 and his Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree from the University of Pennsylvania Dental College in 1944. He served in the United States Dental Corps during World War II as a dental surgeon in many hospitals across the nation and retired as a Captain from the military service in 1946. He secured his dental license in Washington, DC to practice with his brother at his medical clinic. It was at this time that he became interested in historical research at the Library of Congress. At that time he announced to his friends that dentistry was his vocation and historical research his avocation. When he retired from his vocation of dentistry, his avocation became his vocation. His research resulted in several plays, two of which were "The Life and Death of the Roman Emperor Nero" and "The Private Lives of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba." In 2003, he found the story and was a co-producer of the film titled "Something The Lord Made" which received an Emmy in 2004. In 2005, he received a Peabody Award for the same film. He also wrote and published a book about the Spanish-Judaic ancestry of Christopher Columbus. The title of the book is "Christopher Columbus, A Spanish Nobleman of Royal Birth Born a Secret Jew." Dr. Sorkin lectured all over the United States on this. Dr. Sorkin is survived by his wife of 60 years, Joyce Sorkin; three children, Arleen Sorkin-Lloyd (Christopher) of Los Angeles, CA, Dr. Arthur Sorkin (Dr Vivian Sorkin) of Bethesda, MD and Robert Sorkin of Austin, TX and four grand-children, Eli Lloyd, Owen Lloyd, Daniel Sorkin and Gina Sorkin. Memorial services and burial will be in Los Angeles on Sunday, October 21st at 11:00am at Mt Sinai Hollywood Hills.